Pokemon Reset Bloodlines: Pokemon G-Men Gaiden
by partner555
Summary: The Pokemon G-Men, a multinational governmental organisation, tasked with protecting the people and Pokemon of the world. Who was their founder? What events led to their creation? Part of the Resetverse.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This story is part of the Resetverse, and takes place about 30 years before the main story. While greater knowledge of the Resetverse can increase your enjoyment, it's not actually necessary.

Credit for the cover goes to Spacebattles' Vinylshadow, who's also known as Songbreeze741 on deviantart.

* * *

Centuries ago, in the region of Kalos, the Dark Pestilence wiped out entire villages as the plague spread across the region and beyond.

Closer to the present day, Kalos once again found itself plagued by a force that repeated history by wiping out entire villages.

Except, history wasn't quite repeating itself. It wasn't disease that destroyed those villages. It was a duo of monsters, who banded together to terrorise human and Pokemon alike, and they amassed countless victims.

But some managed to survive them. Some managed to escape death or enthrallment by their hand. Their victims wanted justice. Their victims _needed_ justice, and from the ashes of destruction, rose the first Pokemon G-Man and his partner.

* * *

Once, there was a humble village in Kalos. The villagers were farmers, growing food that helped feed Kalos, and among one family, the Gagneux family, there was a certain man.

"Paien, remind me, _why_ should I read this book?" asked a twenty-year old man with red hair and brown eyes as he waved a thick, hardcover book at his older brother. "I don't even like Pokemon. Why should I read a book on how to train them? We're just farmers!"

"Because, Fabron," said Paien. "Nearly everyone has a Pokemon. You're an adult now, and adults without a Pokemon tend to be viewed unfavourably, and in case farming doesn't work out for you, not having a Pokemon _will_ affect your job prospects."

"Lots of jobs don't even need Pokemon!" said Fabron.

"Doesn't matter, now start reading," said Paien with finality. "If you need me, I'll be working out at the fields."

Fabron grumbled as his brother left, but he accepted what his brother said and opened the book. Before he did though, he reread the book's title, 'How to Train your Pokemon - A List of Pokemon Attributes, Proper Training Regimens, and Movepools'.

* * *

As Fabron read about the Pokemon native to Kalos, he looked at the time. He had been reading for several hours. He could see Paien working on his family's field through his window. Would his brother notice if Fabron stopped now?

He got out of his chair and opened his door. He would have walked out of his room, but his parents were standing there.

"Ha ha," said his father.

"Nice try," said his mother.

" _All_ of you were in on it!?" asked Fabron.

"Of course," said his father as his parents stepped into the room and Fabron sat back down.

"We want what's best for you after all," said his mother. "We all noticed that you don't seem to enjoy farming as much as the rest of us."

"You did?" asked Fabron. In retrospect, he should have realised that after what Paien said earlier. He had... mixed feelings about their actions. On the one hand, they were forcing him to read the book on Pokemon Training, but on the other hand, they noticed he didn't actually _like_ the family business.

"We did," said his father as he shook his head and took a deep breath. "While I always wanted both my sons to take up farming like me, I also know I can't force you to be part of the family business if you don't like it. And you never did, you just kept quiet about it."

"Speaking of which, holding all your feelings in isn't healthy," said his mother. "It could cause issues down the line."

"Hmph."

His parents then took their leave.

"Continue reading," said his mother. "While we can't force you to take over the family business with your brother, we _can_ force you to improve your job prospects."

"All right, all right," said Fabron as he turned back to his book.

* * *

 _"Ahh, today's another great day for farming,"_ thought Paien as he tended to their crops. Unlike his brother, he always liked doing work on the farm. With a frown, he looked at Fabron's window. He hoped his brother could find his calling, whatever it may be. He and their parents just knew that Fabron needed his Pokemon, however unnecessary his brother thought it was.

Shaking his head, Paien got back to work.

While engrossed in his work, Paien didn't notice a floating black-coloured sword and shield as it silently approached him.

At least, up until the moment it slammed him into the ground. Paien turned around and was shocked to see his attacker.

He tried to escape but that was when the eye on the hilt glowed black and his own vision turned dark.

 **Obey.**

Paien tried his hardest to resist, but the black sword only pushed harder.

 **Yield.**

Paien slowly felt himself losing control over his body.

 **Kneel!**

His struggles ceased as the sword's will overwhelmed him. Try as he might, he could not stop himself from kneeling.

Under the sword's full control, the sword then forced him to walk towards his house.

* * *

Fabron continued reading the book Paien gave him. He read all about the Pokemon detailed by the book. Within were details on Pokemon names, their types, abilities and movesets, and how to properly raise them. He turned the page-

"Aaaaaah!"

-when he was suddenly interrupted from his reading by the sound of screams.

 _"What was that!? That sounded like my parents!"_

Fabron immediately got up to check on them. He almost made it out of his room, before he realised he didn't have a weapon to fend of any intruders.

At least, until his eyes landed on the book Paien had given him. With how thick and heavy it was, it was better than nothing and Fabron took it with him as he ran to help his parents.

* * *

In their living room, Fabron was shocked by what he saw.

There was blood splattered all over the walls, and every piece of furniture was broken. And next to deep gashes on the floor, were the bodies of his parents. Fabron could only stare in horror as he saw all the blood that came from their wounds.

There was no doubt, his parents were already dead. He was too late.

In front of them was a man wielding a black shield and sword, and Fabron felt every instinct telling him he was in great danger. Fabron's horror only increased when the man turned. His eyes glowed black, but he recognised that face.

"Paien!?" shouted Fabron as he stumbled back.

" _Oh, is that this man's name?"_

Fabron saw his brother's mouth moved, but that wasn't Paien's voice. He then took a closer look at the sword and remembered reading about it from the book he was carrying.

It was a Pokemon, with the power to control human and Pokemon alike.

"An Aegislash!?" he said as said Pokemon glowed white and forced Paien to attack his own brother.

Fabron dodged the Slash and turned back to the Aegislash.

"Release my brother, you damn Pokemon!"

" _I am not just_ any _Pokemon,"_ said the Royal Sword Pokemon. " _My name happens to be Dainsleif."_

"I don't care what your name is, release my brother now!"

Dainsleif gave his answer in the form of a Night Slash attack, and unlike before, Fabron was unable to dodge it.

He was blown through his front door as the attack threw him far. When he got back up, he realised the book he carried took the brunt of the attack.

Concerned neighbours opened up their doors and windows when they heard the loud noise, and they were horrified to see Fabron's attacker.

"Paien's being possessed by an Aegislash!" shouted Fabron. "Help!"

" _It does not matter how many help,"_ said Dainsleif. " _You will die, your brother will die, in fact…"_

Dainsleif looked around the small village with a sadistic grin.

" _Everyone in this village will die!"_ declared the Shiny Pokemon.

"We'll see about that!" shouted one of Fabron's neighbours as he threw a Pokeball. "Go Pyroar!"

A male Pyroar appeared, and he roared as he was joined by every Pokemon the villagers had.

Dainsleif carefully considered the Pokemon the villagers before he smirked.

" _Ha ha ha! Oh, this is rich! Ha ha ha!"_

"What's so funny you damn Pokemon!?" demanded Fabron.

" _You all actually believe you have any hope of surviving,"_ said Dainsleif.

Fabron felt a sense of dread as Dainsleif's single black eye glowed, and as he looked around, he was horrified to see the same glow in the eyes of half of the villagers and their Pokemon, a horror shared by those not affected by the glow.

Pyroar was snarling as his head jerked around, fangs glowing red.

A man cocked his shotgun as he stumbled around, his aim far too accurate for his family's liking.

A Dedenne was giving off sparks of electricity as its Trainer backed away.

And then, a single word from the Royal Sword Pokemon resulted in a living hell.

" _Kill."_

And every mind-controlled person and Pokemon _roared._

Pyroar mauled a nearby person and the man screamed as the Pyroar bit him again and again and tore him apart.

Young children fled the gunshots coming from their father. But one girl tripped. She tried getting back up, but one shot was all it took to make sure she would never get back up, ever again.

People and Pokemon alike tried to avoid Dedenne as it used Nuzzle on everyone that wasn't mind-controlled, but many couldn't. And every time someone was Paralyzed, the puppets moved in and killed the helpless victim.

One elderly man was stomped to death by his own daughter.

A Diggersby slammed into a Bunnelby until it stopped breathing.

And a man with a machete stabbed a young Skiddo until it bled to death.

As his village was being destroyed around him, Fabron could only watch in horror.

"Stop!" he pleaded, but it only fell on deaf ears as Pyroar unleashed a Flamethrower in every direction. "Stop damn it!"

" _Ha ha ha!"_ laughed Dainsleif as the flames made several combustibles explode, catching both the puppets and the non-puppets alike in them.

"Why are you doing this!?" asked Fabron as the carnage continued all around him.

" _Why?"_ asked Dainsleif as the puppets turned to Fabron.

Fabron backed away.

" _Why?"_

Fabron stepped back further when he realised he was the only surviving person who wasn't mind-controlled.

" _Because I choose to."_

Knowing he had no choice but to escape, Fabron fled as the mind-controlled ones chased after him.

Dainsleif and his puppets followed him as he ran out of the village and into the forest. He kept dodging every attack they sent his way even as he tried to find a way to escape.

He tried running where the trees were closer together in order to slow them down, but Dainsleif merely cut them down. As he continued to run, he managed to shake them and found a cave covered by ivy. He ran in as far as he could in the darkness. Standing still against a wall, he tried to calm himself down and process what was happening.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard his neighbours arrive. Fabron held his breath while hoping they wouldn't find him.

Eventually, he heard Dainsleif's voice.

" _Guess he is nowhere to be found, oh well."_

He heard his still possessed brother take a few steps before he suddenly stopped. Fabron wondered why before he got his answer.

" _Kill yourselves."_

Fabron choked as he held back a scream while he heard all of the remaining victims punch, cut, bite, and injure themselves to death.

* * *

 _(The next day)_

Fabron returned to his village, or at least, what was left of it after Dainsleif's attack.

Now that the immediate danger had passed, Fabron could finally process what happened. He gazed at the bodies of his neighbours as he tried to hold back his grief. He held back his tears as he saw how many homes were destroyed.

Fabron held back his rage as the fact that his home was destroyed by a Pokemon and that he was the only survivor sank in.

He tried using the phones to report what happened, but after the sixth attempt at the sixth house, he realised that the battle must have damaged the main telephone lines.

When his eyes landed on one of the deceased Pokemon, Fabron was filled with disgust. A Pokemon destroyed his home. A _Pokemon_ killed his family and every one of his neighbours.

Fabron shook his head and calmed himself down when realised he was still carrying the book his brother gave him.

As memories of his brother flashed through his mind, he realised Paien would want him to focus on what needed to be done as Fabron looked around the destroyed village.

" _The authorities need to know what happened, that there's a Shiny Aegislash calling himself Dainsleif going around killing people, and since the phones aren't working, I'm going to need to travel to the nearest village,"_ thought Fabron.

He noted the destroyed cars and bikes.

" _It's going to be a_ long _walk."_

Still holding his emotions back, Fabron searched for anything he could use on his journey, and vowed to never trust another Pokemon after what Dainsleif did.

* * *

 _(Meanwhile)_

There was a once a relatively remote forest in Kalos. The Pokemon there were peaceful. Some Pokemon tended to the Berry trees. Some Pokemon protected the forest from intruders. And all lived in harmony with each other.

A variety of Pokemon could be found in that forest, including a certain rare Pokemon. A species that was rare in captivity and rarer in the wild.

" _Elder,"_ asked a Combusken to the male Meowstic. " _Why're you reading that human book?"_

" _Because, young Feu, I want to learn more about humankind,"_ said Elder to his grandson.

Feu scoffed. " _What's there to learn Grandpa? They're squishy weaklings that need_ us _to fight for them."_

" _You never left this forest, and you would assume that the human race are helpless? You would assume that_ we _are superior? We never invented the book. The humans did."_

" _And they've only invented their technology because of their weakness!_ We're _strong. We have no use for them_ or _their science!"_

" _If we have no need for anything the humans created,"_ said Elder. " _Then why do_ you _have a name of human origin rather than be called Apprentice? You are learning under your mother Protector as well as Guardian after all because you want to evolve and find your father."_

" _That's different!"_ said Feu as he avoided looking Elder in the eye.

" _Because it is the name of your Blaziken father who once came by this forest when his_ Trainer _camped nearby?"_

That was when Feu turned away in anger. " _Enough! I have training with Protector and Guardian. See you later."_

The elderly Meowstic could only shake his head as Feu left. Nevermind that Feu insisted on a human name rather than by their position as per the way of their forest sanctuary, the medicine created by the humans saved him and his fellow Pokemon far too many times, especially his daughter Protector.

Resigned to having to lecture Feu at a later time, and hopefully get a 'sorry' out of him, Elder continued reading the book.

If Feu had ever bothered to learn to read, he would have known that the book was titled 'How the Bonds of Human and Pokemon have Shaped the World'.

* * *

 _"I wonder how his talk with his grandfather went,"_ thought a female Meowstic, Protector and Feu's mother as she and a Gallade, Guardian, waited for her son. She frowned as she thought of his attitude. Ever since he evolved, Feu had been hot-headed and arrogant, and became increasingly impatient in evolving to his final stage. _"I hope Feu would learn something from him."_

She was taken out of her thoughts when Feu arrived at where Protector and Guardian were waiting for him.

" _Ahh, there you are Feu. Are you ready to begin today's training?"_ asked Guardian.

" _Yes,"_ was all Feu could say.

" _Just 'yes'? Did something happen when you visited Elder?"_ asked Guardian.

" _He thinks we have a lot to gain from learning about humans, but I strongly doubt that."_

Protector and Guardian then shared a look before they turned back to Feu.

" _We'll talk about it later,"_ said Protector. " _For now, we'll start."_

Feu, Protector and Guardian then stood straight and each held up their right hand.

" _We are the defenders of this forest. We protect our home and its denizens from all threats, be they human or Pokemon. We stand proud and strong as the first line of defence of our sanctuary!"_

Feu then walked towards his position, but before Guardian did the same, he turned to Protector.

" _Didn't we tell him the oath originated as a human custom?"_ he asked under his breath.

" _I'm pretty sure we did,"_ answered Protector. " _Maybe he forgot? He could have also ignored it. I wouldn't put it past him to have done either."_

" _Make sure to talk to him later,"_ said Guardian as he went to his position.

" _I will,"_ said Protector.

" _Can we start now?"_ asked Feu.

" _Yes, you may,"_ said Protector. " _Begin!"_

Feu's claws glowed with his Slash attack and he charged at Guardian, who parried his attack with Psycho Cut.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the forest Pokemon, a truck was driving towards a forest before it stopped.

The driver took out a pair of binoculars and looked at what he could see.

Close to the entrance, he saw a Gallade sparring with a Combusken, with a female Meowstic supervising. From what he could tell, the Meowstic was giving advice and instructions to the Combusken. There were also lots of other Pokemon present as they watched what the man realised was a training session.

As the man took note of his equipment, he smirked as he floored the pedal and ambushed them all, taking the Meowstic, the Gallade and the Combusken by surprise.

While they were recovering from the surprise, he grabbed his weapons, stepped out, and immediately fought every Pokemon present.

* * *

As Elder continued reading, he was engrossed as the book described the ways the bonds between humans and Pokemon can achieve great things. What the book was describing was something he had never heard off in his long life.

" _There are many ways for the bonds between human and Pokemon to manifest as power. From the basic attack that is the move Return, to the awe-inspiring power of Mega Evolution. But there is one method that is poorly understood, to the point that many who have heard of it consider it nothing more than a legend. Like Mega Evolution, this method changes the appearance of the Pokemon. Unlike Mega Evolution or even Z-moves, this method does not require special stones or crystals. Unlike the move Return, in spite of the lack of a need for items of any sort, this power is not accessible to every Pokemon. It is widely believed that the power is triggered by love, be it in the romantic or platonic sense. The first instance of this power is presumed to have happened in ancient times, with the Pokemon known as the Hero Gre-"_

Elder was interrupted from his reading when he heard the sound of screams and gunfire. Clearly there was trouble.

Standing back up, he immediately ran towards the source of the sounds, ready to help however he could.

* * *

As the battle continued, Feu watched as Protector threw Magical Leaf against the human while he fought Guardian, but his reflexes were fast enough for his sword to block her attack.

His mother then switched to Charge Beam and launched an electrical blast at him.

To his and everyone else's shock, the human took the attack and was barely fazed.

" _What!?"_ asked Protector. It didn't appear that the human heard her, but he turned to her anyway.

"You call that an attack!?" said the human as he pushed Guardian back. "My own mother did _far_ worse to me!"

He then charged towards her, gun blazing and sword at the ready.

" _Mother!"_ he said before the human struck her down. Feu could only stand still as he saw her fall with a wound that took her out of the battle.

" _Protector!"_ said another voice and Feu saw that Elder had arrived.

" _Grandpa, there's a human!"_ he said. " _He's alone and without a single Pokemon servant, but he's surprisingly strong!"_

* * *

Elder looked around him after Feu told him what was going on. Many of their fellow Pokemon had been captured and placed into cages, and many others lied defeated or dead. His heart skipped a beat when he saw his injured daughter once more.

And the most shocking part was that the cause was a single black-haired human with z-shaped marks under his eyes, who wielded a small machine gun in one hand and a sword in the other.

He was currently fighting Guardian, the only capable fighter left besides Feu.

And the human had the upper hand.

" _Take this!"_ said Guardian as his arms glowed with Psycho Cut as he moved fast and fought hard against the human.

But, no matter how fast or strong the Gallade was, the human was _far_ better at swordplay, and the sword he was using must have been well-made.

The human parried the attacks and made Guardian stumble from the block.

"Why don't _you_ take _this_!" said the human as he seized the opportunity and slashed Guardian, drawing significant blood and causing the Pokemon pain.

" _Gah!"_

That snapped Feu out of his stunned state and he leapt to Guardian's aid.

" _Take this human!"_ he shouted as he jumped forward with a Slash attack.

The human's response was to use his sword to block the attack and throw Feu to the side.

As Elder looked on in shock as Feu collided with a tree and fell, he turned back to the human in fear and asked. " _Who_ are _you?"_

"Ah, that's right, your species is Psychic-type like the Gallade here. I can actually understand you unlike the Combusken over there," said the human as his red eyes sent shivers down Elder's spine. "Anyway, I am Accentus, the eldest of the Seven Brothers."

Elder looked at his friends, the dead, and the dying. He himself wasn't a fighter. The males of his kind were more suited to support roles if it ever came to battle unlike his daughter, and the only damaging move he knew was Future Sight. He and Guardian were the only ones left standing, and Guardian needed time to recover. He doubted diplomacy would work, but he had to try, and if nothing else, it could buy time.

" _Please Accentus, release my friends and the survivors will let you leave peacefully."_

Accentus gave his answer by pointing his gun and opening fire on Elder, who immediately raised Protect.

As grateful as he was that he had Prankster, Elder tried to think of a way out while his shield lasted. Knowing he couldn't use Protect in quick succession unless he was _incredibly_ lucky, he went over his remaining options. He decided upon Future Sight, and opened wormholes while hoping for the best.

He and Guardian saw Feu stirred, and Accentus noticed too. Feu looked at the human with eyes full of anger.

" _Humans are weak! Humans are inferior! Take this!"_ and he fired a Flamethrower attack from his mouth.

In response, Accentus dodged to the side.

While the human was distracted, Guardian Teleported and reappeared behind the human, ready to strike him down with Psycho Cut.

" _Got yo- gerk!"_

Elder was shocked. Accentus' reflexes were incredible. Before Guardian even finished Teleporting, his sword already moved and stabbed Guardian in the stomach.

" _Guardian!"_ shouted Feu as his mentor fell forwards, held up only because of the human's sword.

And then, a single action resulted in Elder's personal hell.

Future Sight had returned, and Accentus dodged most of them and threw Guardian to shield himself from the remainder.

Elder watched in shock as Guardian was bombarded by his attack. Elder dropped to his knees as he heard Guardian's cries of pain.

After the Future Sight attack ended, Elder looked on in despair as Guardian fell lifelessly to the ground.

" _Why?"_ he asked, grief clear in his telepathic voice as he trembled all over from what he just saw.

"Why?" asked Accentus as he turned to Elder.

With the human's eyes on him, Elder knew they had to get out of there and gave a silent order to Feu, who nodded.

"Why?"

Elder prepared himself as Feu took a stance.

"Because I choose to."

With a burst of Quick Attack, Feu grabbed Elder and they fled as Accentus gave chase.

They ran through the thick forest dodging every bullet Accentus fired at them. When they managed to shake the human, they quickly climbed the tallest tree around and hid in the treetops.

They remained quiet as Accentus searched for them below.

Feu wanted to attack Accentus, but Elder dissuaded him, not confident they'd survive the attempt after how dangerous the human proved himself to be.

They held back a scream as Accentus suddenly opened fire and sprayed bullets in every direction. As they pressed their bodies on the hard tree, bullets flew dangerously close to them. Elder and Feu held their breaths, until the storm of bullets ceased.

Once Accentus emptied the magazine, he left.

Elder didn't dare breathe a sigh of relief until Accentus was long gone.

* * *

 _(The next day)_

Feu and Elder returned to where they battled Accentus. The forest was quiet now. He and Elder were the only ones left.

Accentus, a human, managed to fight against an entire forest of Pokemon and won.

As he gazed at the dead, he realised that his mother wasn't among them. The human must have taken her. Feu looked in the distance for his kidnapped mother as disgust at humankind, and himself, swelled up.

He was wrong. Humans weren't weak. They were _dangerous._ And they _all_ deserved to die for what just happened.

" _Come Feu, let us bury the dead. Then we leave this forest and try to free what remains of our friends,"_ said Elder.

Feu turned to his grandfather in anger.

" _You'd use a human custom for our dead!? After a human did this to us!? After a human took Mother!? The Pokemon way has always been to leave them to nature. We'll leave them be. We're going after the human and saving Mother now!"_

And with that, Feu turned and left, ready to leave the forest for the first time in his life.

He ignored Elder's look of disappointment, though he stopped when Elder spoke up.

" _You have much to learn of the world beyond the forest,"_ said Elder. " _I will go with you, but the first thing you need to know is that we cannot always find food and water. At least stay long enough for us to gather the needed supplies."_

Feu hesitated, but ultimately relented to his grandfather's advice.

" _I accept,"_ said Feu, however grudgingly.

* * *

 _(One week later)_

Fabron was lost. The map he found turned out to be outdated and he quickly realised he should have packed more food. As he searched through the bag he salvaged, all he found was some water that could last him one more day, a metal bat with a sling duct taped to it to protect himself with, and the book his brother gave him.

Even damaged, with many pages missing or otherwise unreadable, it could still help him learn about how dangerous Pokemon could be.

Looking around, he saw nothing but trees and not a single edible food item. At least, until his eyes landed on a single Sitrus berry, high up a tree on a hillside. A tree that looked like the one near their village that he and Paien used to climb when they were younger.

Memories flooded back into his mind.

" _Fabron! Look at me!" shouted a twelve-year old Paien to his seven-year old brother._

 _Fabron could only gaze wide eyed at his older brother as he sat high up the tree._

" _Come Fabron! I'll show you how to climb!" he said. "Just don't tell Mom and Dad! They'd ground us forever if they find out!"_

Fabron shook his head of the memory as he tried to ignore how much pain he felt at losing his family.

Dropping the bag, he took out the bat just in case and climbed the tree. After he picked the berry, he slipped and dropped it, where it rolled down the hill.

Fabron climbed down the tree and quickly chased after it.

* * *

After several days of travelling, Feu and Elder ran out of food. In his inexperience, Feu didn't properly ration out their supplies and kept taking snacks without Elder's knowing. When his grandfather found out, he promptly gave a lecture on the importance of _not_ overeating while also teaching him the basics on foraging for food.

To cover more ground, they had split up and agreed to meet back where Elder left the book he brought with him.

" _Why did Elder even bring that human book?"_ thought Feu. " _What value does it have for him? Why would he bring a book he said was about humankind and not one on how to become stronger? We need to be stronger to save Mother."_

Memories of his younger years with his mother then flashed in his mind.

" _Mother, what is that thing Scholar is looking at?" asked the recently hatched Torchic._

" _Your grandfather isn't looking," said Protector. "He's_ reading. _And what he's reading is called a book. It's a thing humans created."_

 _"What are humans?"_

 _Smiling, Protector raised her son to eye level. "They are the creatures we share this world. Just like Pokemon, humans are a diverse species, and there are many things that just couldn't be done without humans. And reading is one of them."_

" _Why is he reading?" asked Torchic as he looked at the book with both wariness and curiosity._

" _Because as important as it is for us to be strong enough to protect ourselves, it is also important to be_ smart _so that we know how best to protect ourselves_."

 _Torchic processed that information._

" _I think I get it," said Torchic before he thought of another question. "What was my father's name?"_

" _Feu."_

" _What does a feu do?"_

" _I do not know what the name means," said Protector. "But I do know it has nothing to do with what he does."_

 _That surprised Torchic._

" _It doesn't? Is it a human thing?" he asked._

" _Humans do not name themselves after their roles," lectured Protector as she drew her son closer. "Unlike this sanctuary, humans base their choices on their personal tastes. Your father's Trainer must have thought Feu was a nice name, and that was that."_

" _I see," said Feu. "Can I have the same name as my father?"_

" _If you wish, Feu," said Protector._

" _Will I ever meet him one day?"_

" _Once you're fully evolved, I'll allow you to leave this forest and find him. Despite the circumstances that prevented him from staying, I'm sure your father would want to meet you, even if just once," said Protector with a smile._

" _Then I'll make sure to evolve and be the best Blaziken ever! I'll make father proud!"_

As the memory ended, Feu strengthened his resolve to save his mother.

He then heard an odd sound and walked in the direction of the sound where he found a small hill.

* * *

When the Sitrus berry stopped rolling, Fabron leapt at it. He smiled as he grabbed the berry.

"Com!?"

Upon hearing that, he looked up.

"A Pokemon!?" he said as he got back up and got his bat ready.

"Ken, Combusken!" the Pokemon said, pointing at the Sitrus berry Fabron had.

Fabron may not have been able to understand the Combusken, but the context was clear.

 _'Hand over the Sitrus berry, or else.'_

* * *

As he and the human glared at each other, Feu wondered when he would hand the berry over.

The hand holding the berry moved, but not towards Feu. Instead, the human brought the Sitrus berry to his mouth.

" _Don't you dare you filthy human!"_ shouted Feu.

Still glaring, the human ate the berry. Feu's eye twitched as the human made exaggerated chewing sounds, before he finished with a deliberately loud swallow.

" _Oh that's it!"_ said Feu as he darted forwards with a Slash attack.

"Bring it on you damn Pokemon!" shouted the human as he swung his metal weapon.

Instead of the clash of claws on steel though, both the Pokemon and the human found themselves pushed back by a psionic shield.

" _Calm down you foolish boys!"_ Feu heard Elder shout.

* * *

The Meowstic may have been a Pokemon, but Fabron found himself obeying the clearly elderly Pokemon. As much as he would've liked to do otherwise, he didn't think that was wise.

He may have missed his parents, but he didn't want them to come back from the dead and haunt him about respecting his elders, regardless of the species. So here he was, following the Meowstic alongside that damned Combusken.

After the Meowstic recovered the book Fabron was curious about and he got his bag back, the Meowstic took them to a certain spot. Fabron didn't know what was so special about it. All he saw were trees, rocks and grass, and he could tell the Combusken was also in the dark.

" _I believe some introductions are in order,"_ said the Meowstic as he sat on one of the rocks. " _I am an elder where my grandson and I come from. You may call me Elder."_

"Were you always called that?"

" _No, I used to be called Scholar until I became one of the older members of our sanctuary,"_ said Elder.

"Ken," said the Combusken.

"What did he say?" asked Fabron.

" _He said that his name is Feu, and that if you attempt to call him anything else, he will kill you where you stand."_

"Just try it!" Fabron grabbed his bat.

"Combusken!" said Feu as he gathered flames in his mouth.

" _Enough!"_ shouted Elder, and they both stopped. " _Now, human, what is your name?"_

"Fabron."

" _And what brings you here?"_

Fabron grunted.

"One of you Pokemon killed my family and everyone else in my village," he said with no small amount of venom. "Right now, I'm trying to reach the closest town to warn them and the authorities, but I got lost."

"Bus! Ken, ken, combusken."

"Translation?"

In the silence that followed, Fabron realised that Elder was clearly thinking of a tactful translation.

" _He says we had suffered a similar fate. A human who called himself Accentus of the Seven Brothers kidnapped Feu's mother and many of our friends while killing the rest. The significance of the 'Seven Brothers' part is unknown to us though,"_ said Elder.

"Never heard of them either," said Fabron.

"Ken," said Feu dismissively.

Fabron's eye twitched. He didn't need a translation as he turned to Feu with a glare, but Elder intervened.

" _I see, and do you know anything else?"_ he asked. Fabron knew it was to keep the peace, and he went along with it.

"Not really."

" _What of the Pokemon that attacked your village?"_

"He's a Shiny Aegislash calling himself Dainsleif," said Fabron as anger briefly swelled up but he forced it back down.

Fabron saw Elder contemplate that information.

" _While the name 'Dainsleif' is unfamiliar,"_ said Elder. " _I_ have _heard rumours of a monstrous Aegislash of pitch black. There are stories of how he killed almost every Pokemon in a forest far from here, with the survivors_ only _surviving because he_ wanted _his feats to be known."_

Fabron grunted.

"Guess not even _you_ are spared from your kind's cruelty," he said.

"Combusken!" shouted Feu.

Given the context, Fabron didn't need a translation.

"I will _not_ take it back!"

Feu's claws extended in a flash of white. Fabron grabbed his metal bat.

" _That's enough!"_

And once again, Elder got between them.

" _Feu, is Fabron the very human who killed our friends kidnapped your mother!?"_

"Ken…" said Feu as he looked away.

" _Fabron, are we the Pokemon who killed your family and destroyed your village!?"_

Fabron looked away. "No…"

" _Then why are you foolish boys so prepared to attack each other for something_ others _did!?"_

Neither Fabron nor Feu could look Elder in the eye. They knew they didn't have a good answer.

" _Just like I thought,"_ said Elder as he walked back to his original position _. "You_ cannot _blame an entire group for something only the worst of them did. Now, from what I have observed, the three of us were unprepared for our respective journeys. So I would like to propose that for both our goals, we travel together, and the first order of business is stocking up on food."_

Feu balked at the suggestion, and for once, Fabron agreed.

"You serious!?"

" _Yes,"_ Elder stated bluntly.

"This Combusken sucked at finding food so much he tried to take what _I_ found!"

"Combusken!" said the Pokemon as he turned to Fabron with a glare.

Their agreement did not last long.

" _Are you both so focused on your dislike of each other that both of you are missing the forest for the trees!?"_ demanded Elder.

"Comb!"

" _I meant that_ literally! _Take a closer look behind me!"_

Fabron looked and saw that behind the trees right in front of him and Feu, there were a _lot_ of berry trees of various types.

And hundreds upon hundreds of berries.

" _Seeing as you both are currently incapable of rational thought,"_ said Elder with no small amount of annoyance, "I _will have final say. The three of us_ will _travel together, and there will be_ no _question about it. Now start gathering the berries. Once you two are done, we can go to the river I found so we can also stockpile on drinkable water."_

* * *

Feu could not believe what was happening. A week ago, a human kidnapped his mother and many of their friends and killed the ones he couldn't capture.

And now, his grandfather forced him to work with _another_ human.

" _Human! Don't forget those berries over there!"_ he said to try and get a word in edgewise against Fabron.

Fabron ignored him, which only frustrated Feu.

" _Elder! Is there a way to get the human to understand me instantly!?"_ he asked.

Elder thought about it.

" _There might be a way,"_ he said. " _Feu, Fabron, come here."_

They both did as Elder said.

" _Now, Fabron, so that you understand what's going on, Feu just asked me whether it is possible to get you to understand him, and there is one possibility I would like to try,"_ said Elder.

"Go on," said Fabron.

" _By using my powers, it may be possible to establish a telepathic link between the two of you, thus allowing for faster communication between you both. Of course, the link will still be fueled by me, so if I am asleep, gone or otherwise incapacitated, the link will weaken and break. Are you both ready?"_ asked Elder.

Feu nodded, and he saw Fabron nod as well. He turned back to Elder, who closed his eyes as a purple glow surrounded him.

Feu felt a power probe into his mind. It felt odd, and he could only assume it was the same for Fabron. As Elder's glow disappeared, so did the probing sensation, but it felt like that there was something still there.

"Did it work?" asked Fabron.

There was only one way to find out.

" _You're nothing but a squishy weakling!"_ shouted Feu.

"Take that back!"

It worked.

* * *

 _(That night)_

While Feu and Fabron slept, Elder remained awake and gazed at the stars. As one of the few Psychic-types capable of having visions, he would occasionally see scenes from the past, present, and future. Throughout his life, he had made mistakes, and learnt from them, and gained experience. The hardest lesson was learning the difference between what was insurmountable fate that would not change no matter what anyone did, and what could be changed by the choices living creatures like him made when they exercised their free will.

He had seen horrible futures. He once saw a vision of a man commanding an army of Gyarados.

 _"He has twenty Gyarados…" muttered a terrified citizen._

 _"But, looking forward to this day, we grew stronger together and evolved! We're going to make you all pay!"_

 _The Gyarados began charging Hyper Beam attacks._

 _"FIRE!"_

And that horrible vision had come to pass about a decade ago, after the war had ended, and within a short period of time, the world changed because of him.

And he had seen wonderful futures. One involved two men who could no longer meet in public.

" _Sam, I think we've done it!"_

" _Right you are Adalbert! We can make the world a better place now!"_

And that wonderful vision had come to pass, also about a decade ago, around the same time as the end of the war. And the outcome of their research was still changing the world.

What both visions had in common was that the individuals involved were put in situations that were beyond their control. That, was fate. How they _responded_ , the choices they made after the fact that led to the visions he saw where they changed the world, were their own. That, was free will.

But he didn't need his experience with the future to know that he had made a _very_ poor judgement call.

He thought that allowing Feu and Fabron a fast means of communication would ease their animosity. He was wrong. It only worsened as it allowed them to trade barbs _faster._

In retrospect, even without psychic powers, he really should have seen that coming after he had to find a tactful way of translating what Feu said to Fabron earlier that day.

" _I hope I dream of a future that could show me how to get those foolish boys to get along,"_ were his final thoughts before he slept.

* * *

A most definitely _not_ asleep Fabron lied in his sleeping bag, listening to the sounds around him. The serenity of the night was wonderful. Unfortunately, it was broken by that damned Combusken's sleep talking.

" _Spicy berries are the best… The tingling sensat-_ ken Combusken…"

" _Looks like Elder's asleep now,"_ thought Fabron as he thought about the day's events and what might come next.

That day, he met a hotheaded and impulsive Combusken. He let all his emotions out without any consideration whatsoever to whether it was better to hold it in. Not like him. He preferred keeping his emotions in. He preferred remaining in control, but that Combusken was good at making him lose it. That being said, he could empathise with his desire to save his family and friends. At least Feu had something to look forward to.

Not like him. He lost his parents, his brother, and his entire village. Grief swelled within him once more, but he pushed them back down again.

" _Try focusing on the positives,"_ he said to himself.

 _He_ managed to survive, _he_ could make sure that Shiny Aegislash was made to answer for what he did. But then what? What was he supposed to do afterwards? If Elder and Feu succeeded in freeing their loved ones from Accentus, they would return to their forest. But him? He had no family to save, and no home to return to. Would he even take up farming? His family knew he hated it, in spite of the fact he kept quiet about it.

" _You're being negative Fabron,"_ he told himself. " _Just go to sleep."_

And with that, he closed his eyes and dreamed.

* * *

 _(Elsewhere)_

Accentus was in his truck with his captures as he read his diary with the aid of a flashlight. He didn't care that Interpol could throw the book, so to speak, at him and give him multiple life and death sentences, he just loved reliving his feats.

He grinned as he remembered the shock on the Meowstic's face when he took her Charge Beam without being stopped. He looked back at her cage, where she had fresh injuries. She had been one of the more defiant captives he had in recent memory.

Accentus turned back to his diary and smiled as he remembered how he outclassed a Gallade at what their species should have been best at, before frowning as he remembered the Combusken and the other Meowstic that got away. He wondered what became of them.

Did they die, or did they survive? Were they pursuing him, or were they too scared to? Assuming they were still alive, Accentus doubted they would come after him.

In his experience, it was rare for Pokemon survivors to do that. And if they did, he always succeeded in killing or capturing them, so he had nothing to worry about.

When he looked up from his diary, he saw a man walking down the road. It looked like he was carrying something, but since it was dark, it was hard to tell.

" _Looks like I'll be having some easy fun tonight!"_ thought Accentus as he started his truck and floored it.

The force of the collision threw the man far. Accentus grinned as he heard the crack of bones when the man landed.

"Ha ha ha ha!"

* * *

Dainsleif stirred as he wondered what hit him.

" _It felt like getting hit by a truck,"_ he thought as he got back up while still possessing Paien's now lifeless body. He felt it was a shame that Paien was now dead. He had hoped to drain his lifeforce a little longer.

Looking around, he saw that it was, in fact, a truck that hit him, and there was a man laughing at the wheel.

" _You there! Why did you_ dare _attack me!?"_ demanded Dainsleif.

That briefly surprised the human, before he quickly gave an answer.

"Because I choose to!" shouted the human as he continued laughing.

That sounded like something he would say, and as Dainsleif took a closer look at the laughing human, he felt an odd sense of familiarity.

It was like looking at a human-shaped reflection.

Dainsleif grinned. " _Let us talk."_

* * *

With a campfire to provide light, Accentus could see who he was talking to.

"So let me get this straight," said Accentus to the man wielding the black sword, or more accurately, the black sword that puppeteered the now dead corpse. "Your name is Dainsleif, and you're an Aegislash. You're using that corpse to speak for now, but you're capable of human speech otherwise, and you go around killing people and Pokemon alike. And you do it because it's fun."

" _That is correct,"_ said Dainsleif.

Accentus grinned. "And your latest feat was wiping out a small village except for one young man who managed to escape?"

" _He was lucky,"_ said Dainsleif. " _But yes."_

Accentus' grin grew. It was like looking at a Pokemon-shaped reflection. His mother _tried_ to give him a Pokemon partner, but he couldn't work with them, and always succeeded in killing them in battle.

His mother Heratia was torn between displeasure that he killed useful tools and pleasure that he was good enough to _actually do it_.

But that was all in the past. _Now,_ he had found the _perfect_ Pokemon partner. All those years of poaching, searching for the right one, had _finally_ paid off.

* * *

Even as a wild Pokemon, Dainsleif had heard many tales of human and Pokemon coming together to achieve results that neither could achieve on their own. His favourite was the story of a man who worked together with twenty Gyarados as they laid waste to a faraway region about ten years ago.

But he could not allow just _any_ human to be his partner. He had been special ever since he was born, and only a special human would be worthy of him.

And that human turned out to be Accentus. With him, Dainsleif hoped to achieve the same level of greatness as Bill and his twenty Gyarados.

" _Let us make a deal,"_ said Dainsleif. " _We will form a partnership of equals. You train me to become stronger, and in return, you will have access to my power. What do you say?"_

* * *

For all his hatred towards his mother, Accentus had to admit that she taught him useful skills. She taught him how best to use close-ranged weapons, including the sword which was his favourite weapon should a fight erupt.

And if he had to be honest with himself, Accentus had always been jealous of her power. With Dainsleif, Accentus hoped he could achieve the same level of power as her.

"I accept," said Accentus.

* * *

From Accentus' truck, Protector regained consciousness and saw the look of fear on the faces of her friends. That was when she saw the two monsters in front of her as the Aegislash recounted how he destroyed a human village.

She watched the two in fury. In front of her was a human monster and a Pokemon monster, and both had to answer for their atrocities.

" _Okay Accentus, you took Charge Beam and Psybeam head on, and blocked Magical Leaf, but let's see if you and Dainsleif could take_ this!" she thought to herself as she used Future Sight and opened wormholes to the future.

Once she finished, she looked back at the monsters in front of her.

The moment Accentus accepted Dainsleif's offer, Protector watched as the Aegislash abandoned the corpse it had to burn in the campfire while Accentus held out his hands. The Aegislash floated towards the human hilt first, and once he was in position, the human closed his right hand around the hilt while his other hand gripped the shield.

Black energy travelled from Dainsleif up Accentus' arm until it gathered around the human's right eye. The human's eye then turned as black as that of the Aegislash.

"What moves do you know?" asked Accentus as he took a few practice swings.

" _King's Shield, Slash, Night Slash and Fury Cutter."_

"Understood. King's Shield!" shouted Accentus as he took a stance.

Power glowed from the black shield as a massive protective barrier formed.

" _Oh ho ho! It was never this big before!"_ said Dainsleif.

"That's because now you have _me_ as a host unlike those pathetic weaklings you had before! Ha ha ha!" said Accentus. "Slash!"

Accentus swung Dainsleif as the latter glowed white, and a massive white blade flew from Dainsleif into the distance, leaving a large gash in the ground.

All witnessing Pokemon besides Protector could only cower as the duo repeated the feat with Night Slash and Fury Cutter, laughing maniacally all the while.

Their fear only increased when Accentus and Dainsleif turned to them, sharing the most evil grin they ever saw.

To Protector's shock, Accentus took another stance and another King's Shield protected the duo as her Future Sight attack returned, uselessly bombarding against the barrier.

" _How!?"_

"We noticed," said Accentus.

" _Do not think we did not,"_ said Dainsleif.

Dainsleif's eye then glowed black, and her own vision became fuzzy.

 **Obey.**

She tried to resist, but between her injuries and her exhaustion, Protector could do nothing as her vision turned dark.

* * *

And that ends chapter one. This is going to be a multi-chaptered story. The rest of the story has already been finished, but it's going through quality checks.


	2. Chapter 2

And now, I present Chapter 2!

Also, in case you didn't see the edit to the Chapter 1 author's note, the cover was made by Spacebattles' Vinylshadow, who's also known as Songbreeze741 on deviantart.

* * *

 _His visions always came to him in his sleep. When he had his first visions, Elder thought they were unusual dreams until he saw with his own eyes one of them becoming true. After realising he had a gift, he practiced with it. Before he could learn the difference between fate and free will, he first had to learn the difference between what was just a dream, and what was a vision._

 _And right now, his vision was showing him a horrific nightmare._

 _A human and Blaziken duo were standing their ground against a man he recognised as Accentus and a Shiny Aegislash that could only be Dainsleif._

 _The brown haired human gripped his Key Stone tightly as he and Blaziken, who wore a holder for his Mega Stone, fought against the monsters._

" _Let's go! Mega Evol-"_

 _Elder watched in shock as Accentus and Dainsleif cut him down before he could even finish his sentence._

 _That was when he saw Blaziken become outraged as he used Flame Charge._

 _"No! Don't!" shouted Elder even though he knew it was useless._

 _His flames burning bright, Blaziken reached the duo, but Accentus merely took a stance as a barrier formed. Blaziken struck the shield, and Elder noticed that he seemed weaker. Seizing the chance, Accentus swung, and from Dainsleif's body came a massive a massive blade of black that killed Blaziken the same way as his trainer._

 _As Blaziken fell alongside his trainer, Elder could only turn horrified eyes against Accentus and Dainsleif, who were laughing even as they spilled more innocent blood._

* * *

"Eld _er!"_

Elder jolted awake up to the sound of Fabron and Feu shouting. Slowly rising, he realised he was covered in sweat and was panting and breathing heavily.

"Elder, you were thrashing in your sleep," said Fabron in concern. "What happened?"

" _Please tell me it was just a nightmare and not a horrible vision,"_ pleaded Feu.

Elder remained silent, but that told his grandson enough.

" _Damn it. How bad is it?"_ asked Feu even as he tried to stay calm.

"Very _bad. Accentus and Dainsleif have teamed up."_

"What!?" shouted Fabron as Elder saw the fear in his eyes at the thought of two dangerous monsters coming together before Fabron visibly calmed himself down. "Wait... If it's a vision, then maybe... It won't come to pass?"

Elder and Feu shook their head, which did nothing to placate Fabron's worries.

" _In my long life, I have gained the experience to know which visions are more likely to prove true, and which are more likely to prove false,"_ said Elder as Fabron visibly looked unnerved. " _This vision has a high chance of coming true, though a few details may be different between what actually happened and what I saw."_

Elder began pacing around before he continued.

 _"My vision, it only showed Accentus and Dainsleif attacking a town, not the moment of their actual meeting. I am certain that they have_ already _met."_

"Crap… What do we do Elder?" asked Fabron in forced calm.

Elder thought about it. What _could_ they do? There were two Pokemon and a human, and they had no means of contacting the authorities. His eyes then fell to Fabron's book.

" _We do two things. First, we continue on our journey to find the nearest human settlement to contact the proper human authorities."_

"I can get behind that," said Fabron, and Elder saw Feu reluctantly agree.

" _Secondly, we need training. Fabron, we will need you and your book to improve Feu and I."_

"Wh _at!"_ shouted his two companions, though it was to be expected and he raised his hand to stop any complaints.

" _Feu, how well did we perform against Accentus?"_

Feu became flustered and looked away.

" _Fabron, how well did you perform against Dainsleif?"_

Fabron raised a hand in protest, before he lowered it.

" _Good, now we should start with what we know. Fabron, what moves did you see Dainsleif use?"_

"He used Slash and Night Slash on me, but if he used any other move, well, I was too busy running," said Fabron.

" _In my vision, he also used King's Shield and Fury Cutter. Those are his four moves then. I myself know Protect, Future Sight, Quick Guard and Helping Hand,"_ said Elder. " _Feu, tell him your moves."_

" _Slash, Flamethrower, and Quick Attack,"_ he said.

Fabron tilted his head. "Only three moves?"

Feu blushed and looked away.

" _Feu…"_ said Elder as he crossed his arms and tapped his feet.

" _... and Peck,"_ he said eventually.

Elder saw Feu's eye twitching as Fabron tried to hold back a laugh, and he knew he needed to distract them.

" _Okay!"_ he said. " _We know where to start. Feu needs a better move to replace Peck, and hopefully, he could evolve to be a Blaziken like his father, just as he always wanted. I myself have the Prankster ability, so it would be more beneficial for me to retain my Support moves, though perhaps you could help me find a replacement to Quick Guard? I doubt it would be useful against Accentus and Dainsleif."_

"Okay," said Fabron as opened his book. "A lot of pages are damaged, but there's still some information for both your species."

Fabron flipped through the pages.

"Okay, since Feu's a Fire-type, Sunny Day is a good support move, and according to this, you can learn that, Elder," said Fabron.

 _"That_ would _prove useful,"_ said Elder.

 _"And me?"_ asked Feu.

"There's Flame Charge," said Fabron after he found the Combusken entry. "That has the additional effect of making you faster, so it'll be very useful."

 _"Sweetness,"_ said Feu as he cracked his knuckles.

And so, the three began training, unaware that as they tried to become stronger, their enemies became more dangerous.

* * *

 _(Elsewhere)_

The skies were chaotic as several Flying-type Pokemon tried to flee from the onslaught. Confusion and panic was felt all around as they tried to dodge every attack sent their way. But as time went on, more and more fell.

One Talonflame squawked as she dodged attack after attack that the human and Aegislash duo ordered their army to throw at her.

It didn't matter that they were far below her, they were strong enough to reach her in the sky, particularly the Charge Beam attacks coming from the Meowstic.

When the attacks stopped, she looked back to make sure she was safe, but she wasn't. To her horror, the other Flying-type Pokemon who fell were now under their thrall and launched their own attacks at her.

Fearing for her life, she used Tailwind to increase her speed and managed to dodge every attack.

"Aerial Ace!" she heard. Looking back once more, she saw the human swung the Aegislash, and from the black sword came a blade of Flying-type energy.

Talonflame continued to fly away and hoped Tailwind made her fast enough, but try as she might, the Aerial Ace attack kept following her. And as she lost speed, the attack got closer and closer until it struck her down. She fell far below, colliding with several branches as she crashed through the treetops.

She tried getting back up, but she found herself too injured to do so, and could only watch helpless as the two monsters caught up to her. And so did their army, which now included every living wild Pokemon in the area. Talonflame saw the Aegislash's eye glowing black before she felt something horrible in her very mind.

 _"I will not break!"_ she thought to herself as she stared defiantly at the human and the Aegislash.

 **Obey.**

 _"I... I will not!"_ She tried to resist it even as her own eyes began glowing black. In her struggles, Talonflame could only thrash around as the monsters continued to invade her mind.

 **Yield!**

The monsters' mouths weren't moving. She kept hearing their voice in her head even as she continued to struggle against it.

 _ **Break!**_

 _"I.. I will not... will not... I..."_ As her resistance faltered, she felt their control take over her mind, body, and soul.

And then, she saw only black.

* * *

 _(Meanwhile)_

Back with Elder, Feu and Fabron, they were continuing their training. While Fabron was working with Feu to learn Flame Charge, Elder was practicing Sunny Day by himself.

Elder concentrated as he remembered what Fabron told him.

 _"Gather heat and fire. After that, visualise in your mind a bright light that can burn the sky. If you can picture it clearly, release the gathered energy into the sky to form the mini-sun."_

Heat gathered in his palms before he sent a ball of fire into the air which made the day a lot hotter. He nodded in satisfaction before he turned to Feu and Fabron to check their progress.

They… weren't doing as well as he was.

"You're a _Fire-_ type!" said Fabron. "Why is it so hard for _you_ to learn Flame Charge!?"

" _Maybe it's_ your _ugly face that's distracting me!"_ said Feu even as Elder noticed that his grandson seemed to have some flames coming of his person and his body briefly glowed bright. Not that either of the boys noticed.

"Oh, _I'm_ ugly? You're that, _and_ a brat!"

Right, it was time to defuse the situation with a distraction.

" _I have succeeded boys!"_ said Elder. " _Rest up and drink plenty of water, for the day just got hotter!"_

After the two boys nodded, Elder saw the glares they sent each other before they left. He could only shake his head. They were close to mastering Flame Charge, but their continued animosity only hampered their progress.

Enough was enough. The current situation could not continue, not if Elder had anything to say about it, and so, he decided to talk to the two boys separately.

* * *

While Fabron was gathering water, Feu was preparing berries for their dinner.

Feu was carefully selecting berries and making sure to properly ration out their supplies. He learned his lesson from before, and did not want to be on the receiving end of _another_ of his grandfather's lectures. While doing so, he was approached by Elder.

" _Yes Elder?"_ he asked even as he felt his lecture-senses telling him he was going to get another one.

" _W_ _e have every reason to be angry at what Accentus has done, but why should any of that apply to Fabron?"_ asked Elder.

His grandfather was going to force the issue was he? Better humour him or the talking would evolve into nagging, and Feu didn't like being on the receiving end of his grandfather's nagging either.

" _What reason do we have to think that_ he's _any different? How can you be so friendly to this human when another of his kind kidnapped Protector?"_ asked Feu.

" _Never mind that_ you _were born only because a human and his Blaziken friend were passing by our forest, I have_ already _said that we cannot judge every member of a group for the actions of their worst,"_ said Elder. " _But if you continue to do so, then I will speak of their_ best."

That surprised Feu. " _And how would you know of their best? Your visions?"_

" _Yes,"_ said Elder. " _I once saw a vision of the past regarding a certain human, Samuel Oak. When he was a child, he and one of his friends nearly died because of a monstrous Gengar whose army managed to take over an entire forest, while another friend, younger brother to the other one, died to that Gengar and was brought back as a Gastly. That incident led to him deciding to make the world a better place for human and Pokemon alike."_

Elder then smiled.

" _And with the help of yet another friend, he succeeded, though that friend's involvement was kept secret because they were both on opposite sides of the Trainer-Ranger wars,"_ finished Elder.

" _Oh really?"_ asked Feu. " _If even us Pokemon benefitted, how did_ I _not notice?"_

" _Because_ you _were not born yet. Your egg was not even laid. But_ I _remember what it was once like,"_ said Elder. " _There were dangerous Pokemon everywhere, and they posed a threat to not just the humans, but even their fellow Pokemon. Your grandmother died protecting your mother and I from one of the dangerous Pokemon of old."_

Feu remained silent after what he just learned as Elder took a moment to compose himself. He watched as his grandfather gripped his chest even as he tried to hold back his tears from losing his mate.

After several minutes of silence, Elder was calm enough to continue.

" _I suspect Dainsleif is one such Pokemon from before the current era,"_ said Elder. " _But Pokemon like him are rarer because of Samuel Oak's and Adalbert Hastings' research, and the Pokemon more inclined towards peace flourished. The society we developed at our sanctuary would_ never _exist if it was not for them. Yes, a human destroyed that, but it was humans that made it_ possible _in the first place."_

" _I… see,"_ said Feu as he clenched his fists. So that was what Pokemon did to other Pokemon. He lost his grandmother before he had the chance to meet her because of them.

Feu frowned and took a deep breath to calm himself. He wasn't quite happy to know that Fabron was right about how not even Pokemon were spared from the worst of their kind, but he could accept it. Especially since the humans Oak and Hastings made things better for human and Pokemon alike.

 _"You understand now? Good, now hopefully you and Fabron will be more civil tonight."_

And with that, Elder left, though not without giving Feu a stern look to make sure he didn't forget their talk.

* * *

Fabron was gathering water while Feu prepared dinner. As he looked around, he wondered about the lack of Pokemon besides Elder and the brat. Where were they? Though if they were like that damned Combusken, perhaps it was for the best he didn't see any.

He shook his head as he thought about the Combusken. He didn't want Feu to ruin his day without even being there. Fabron knew why he was working with him, but that didn't mean that he had to like it.

After he filled the last container, he added it to the pile of full containers ready to be brought back to camp. At the sound of footsteps, Fabron looked up and saw Elder.

"Yes Elder?" he asked.

" _Why do you dislike Feu?"_ asked Elder. " _I can understand why you would hate Dainsleif after what he has done, but not Feu."_

Fabron hesitated as he thought about _why_ he didn't like Feu. Eventually, he took a deep breath.

"I… promised myself to never trust another Pokemon, not after what Dainsleif did," he said. "I know you said that we cannot judge a whole group for something their worst did, but I that was what I told myself to do."

Elder raised an eyebrow, and Fabron knew what his unvoiced question was.

"You're fine, since respecting elders transcends species, and you've been nothing but helpful and made me reconsider my stance, but not Feu," said Fabron. "From the start, he tried to take what I had, and nearly everything he did afterwards only reinforced my opinion that he's nothing but a brat. His _attitude_ just gets on my nerves. Pokemon like Feu just sours my opinion on your whole species."

Fabron saw Elder shook his head.

 _"Oh Feu, we have to fix that attitude of yours sooner or later. This is the second time you caused a mess for us on this journey, and the second time that I have to clean it up,"_ said Elder. Once he was done shaking his head at his grandson's immaturity, Elder looked Fabron in the eye. _"How_ _well can you keep a secret?"_

"What kind of secret?"

" _The kind that could cause another war between the T.A.T.O. and the Ranger Union if it became known, and lead to the executions of two innocent men whose only crime was being friends with each other despite being on opposite sides."_

That sounded familiar to Fabron. Fabron was young when the wars ended, but every horrific battle he learned about only made him wish that there would be no more wars, and he was glad when he heard about two men who managed to become friends despite being on opposite sides.

"I read that in the papers several years back. A Trainer and a Ranger were stuck on a deserted island together and managed to work together to survive, but what secret could they possibly have that could cause another war?"

" _Trust me, the two men I am thinking off are_ far _more important than two lowly privates. Before I speak their names, promise me, you must not tell_ anyone _else, not even the two men concerned. They do not know that_ I _know."_

"I promise," said Fabron.

Elder took a deep breath.

" _Professor Oak's great research, Professor Hastings helped on it."_

Fabron's jaw dropped. The most important Pokemon Professors of both sides _worked together!?_

" _My visions do not just show me a possible future, but they also show me the past and present. Samuel Oak and Adalbert Hastings were childhood friends, and often secretly met in Alola. During the last war, they worked tirelessly and with utmost secrecy to bring peace and make the world a better place. After years of research, they finally made it."_

Elder then smiled, before a frown overtook his face.

" _Of course, Adalbert Hastings' involvement was never revealed. I always thought it was a shame, since what they did was proof of how Trainers and Rangers can come together to do wonderful things,"_ said Elder as he shook his head.

Fabron understood how Elder felt. If people could accept that a Trainer and a Ranger brought peace to the world, then perhaps that peace could last forever and there will be no more battles that killed far too many people.

He then thought about what Elder said, and realised there was a problem.

"Professors Oak and Hastings being friends is neat and all, but what does any of that have to do with me and Feu?"

" _Those two men took a huge risk, and the whole world, as in both their sides and every neutral nation, benefited greatly._ They _worked with someone normally considered their_ enemy, _all for the common good. If_ they _did_ that _in_ _spite of the risks_ , _why not you and Feu?"_

So that's what Elder was getting at. After hearing all that, there was only one answer he could give.

"I… understand," said Fabron.

" _Good, now come. Feu should be finished sorting out which berries we are having for dinner by now."_

As they walked, Fabron thought about what Elder just told him. If Oak's and Hastings' friendship was ever discovered, they could be executed. Those two knew the risks, and _still_ worked together. What was stopping him from working with Feu? Well, the clash of personalities for one, but Fabron supposed he _could_ work together with him, for now at least. Afterwards, they could part ways. Feu and Elder could go home while he…

Fabron shook his head. There it was again. He didn't know what to do after Accentus and Dainsleif were stopped. He couldn't go home after it was destroyed, and he had no family to reunite with. As Elder walked ahead, Fabron's gaze turned towards the sky.

" _Arceus, I know I have never been the most religious type, and probably never will, but just this once, I'll make a prayer,"_ thought Fabron. " _After this journey is done, can you tell me what to do next?"_

After he finished his prayer, Fabron immediately realised how stupid that sounded. He just admitted he wasn't religious, so even if Arceus listened, how could he expect the Creator to answer his prayers?

But still, he wished Arceus would answer. He had nothing to look forward to after they defeated Dainsleif.

 _"Fabron, are you okay?"_ asked Elder.

Shaking his head of his thoughts, Fabron quickly caught up with Elder.

* * *

 _(After dinner)_

Sitting by the campfire, with all their gathered food and water packed away, Elder watched as Feu and Fabron talked.

"Hey, whatever... whatever our issues, dealing with Accentus and Dainsleif is more important," said Fabron. "Can we... can we at least agree to work together for now?"

" _Yes, we can, and... and I'm ready to learn Flame Charge again,"_ said Feu.

It was obvious to Elder that both of them were still hesitant about working with the other. They still have a lot of issues to sort out, largely because of his grandson, but at least they made progress. They were baby steps, true, but Elder felt they would do for now.

"Okay then. Remember this. What you need to do is to coat yourself in flames in such a way that when you move, the flames help make you faster," said Fabron. "Got that?"

" _Got it,"_ said Feu. " _Any tips?"_

"Well, since the main additional effect of the move is that it makes the user faster, you could say that this move is all about speed. So when you use this move, you are speed," said Fabron. "So repeat after me. I am speed!"

" _I am speed!"_ said Feu as he got ready.

"Once more. I! Am! Speed!"

" _I! Am! Speed!"_ Feu began sprinting forwards.

"Flame Charge!"

" _I! Am! Speed!"_ shouted Feu once more as he rushed forwards. As he did, Elder noticed small flames coming off Feu, just like before.

"You can do it Feu! Now cover yourself in flames!"

Elder watched as his grandson covered himself in flames and become a red blur. Feu ran faster and faster around them until he skidded to a halt. Looking around, Elder saw scorch marks from the Flame Charge attack.

" _Ha ha!"_ said Feu.

"You did it!" said Fabron.

" _Well done boys!"_ said Elder.

 _"Thanks grandpa! Accentus and Dainsleif don't stand a chance now! Ha ha!"_

Suddenly, Feu was surrounded by a glow. Elder smiled. He noticed that Feu was on the brink of evolution earlier that day, but mastering Flame Charge and becoming stronger was the final push he needed. When the light died down, Elder saw that Feu had now achieved what he was looking forwards to for a long time.

For his part, Feu looked surprised, before his face quickly morphed into a massive grin.

" _All right! I finally evolved into a Blaziken! YES!"_ celebrated Feu as he threw his fists into the air and did a little dance.

"How… how long has he been looking forward to that?" asked Fabron as Feu continued to celebrate. Clearly he was shocked by how excited Feu was at his evolution. Not that Elder could blame him as Feu made a fool of himself.

" _Yeah! Wooooohoooooooo!"_ said Feu as he did a twirl.

" _Long enough,"_ said Elder as he rubbed his forehead when Feu began throwing Flamethrowers into the sky in celebration. " _He wanted to seek out his father for the longest time, but his mother said that he could only do so once he was fully evolved."_

"At least he _has_ a father to seek," said Fabron. "Not like me."

Elder wasn't sure how to respond to that. He didn't travel with Fabron well enough to know how to cheer him up. Elder felt that keeping silent was the better course of action, lest he worsened Fabron's emotional well-being.

* * *

 _(That night)_

Accentus and Dainsleif stood upon a hill as they looked at the small town below them. All was quiet, with few homes showing signs that the occupants were awake, unsuspecting of what was about to befall them.

Behind them, was the large army of Pokemon that they successfully mind-controlled.

They had already cut the telephone cables, so there was no reason to fear the townsfolk calling for help. They were ready.

Accentus and Dainsleif smirked before the former raised the latter. Together, they then performed a series of complicated movements, resembling some kind of ritual dance.

And with each repeat of Swords Dance, Accentus and Dainsleif felt their joint power grew.

Protector and the rest of their army patiently waited for their masters to finish, and the moment they did, Accentus raised Dainsleif, and they unleashed a massive Slash attack upon the village.

* * *

Inside one of the townhouses, there was a sleeping brown-haired man named Limone. His room was sparsely decorated but there was an old trophy on his shelf.

 _ **~BOOM!~**_

Limone was suddenly woken up by what sounded like an explosion. Upon hearing the sound of screams, he looked outside.

He was shocked by what he saw. There was fire everywhere, and people and Pokemon were running.

 _"What is going on!?"_ he asked himself.

Eyes glowing black, he saw human and Pokemon alike, with many he recognised as his own neighbours and their Pokemon, attacking anyone and everyone that did not share their glowing eyes.

"Holy shit!" he said when he saw a massive Night Slash attack cut through an entire row of houses, which forced the families hiding inside to flee as well.

Limone could only stare in disbelief as he tried to comprehend how powerful a single attack could be. He traced the path of the attack to the source and saw the perpetrators.

He didn't recognise the man who only had one glowing eye, but Limone could see he was wielding a Shiny Aegislash. Were they behind this? He heard Aegislash were capable of mind-controlling others, but how powerful was that one, to be capable of mind-controlling so many?

Limone was taken out of his thoughts when the duo launched a massive Fury Cutter in the direction of the row of houses his home was on, forcing him to take cover.

"Oh my god..." he said as he looked at the damage. As the man and Aegislash duo continued firing attacks in his general direction, as he heard the groaning of his collapsing house, Limone realised he didn't have much time.

He grabbed his Pokeball and his Keystone, ready to fight for his town. He ran outside, and Limone saw the perpetrators about to launch another attack and decided to grab their attention and give his neighbours time to run.

"Hey!"

That surprised them, and man and Aegislash alike turned towards him.

"Why are you doing this!?" he shouted as he got ready to throw his Pokeball while keeping their attention away from others.

"Because, we choose to _,_ " said the man.

"You chose too!?" yelled Limone as he looked around. He could barely restrain his anger as he saw how many of his neighbours lost their homes and their lives. "You're killing fellow living beings just because!?"

 _"We need no excuses,"_ said the Aegislash as they launched a Slash attack that Limone was barely able to dodge. The attack passed Limone and struck what remained of his house.

As he looked back at his destroyed home, Limone knew stalling was no longer an option and threw his Pokeball to release his most powerful Pokemon.

* * *

The moment the Blaziken was released from his Pokeball, he knew the gist of what was going on.

Between all the destroyed homes, the dead, the army of people and Pokemon with black eyes, and the duo giving out commands, it didn't take a genius to figure it out.

And then he saw the Meowstic near the human and Pokemon commanding the army. She seemed familiar, before he remembered where he saw her in shock.

" _Protector!?"_ What was she doing here!? Why would she travel far from her home!?

That was when he took a closer look and saw that she too had glowing black eyes. Realising that she was being mind-controlled, he took another look at the army and his jaw could only drop wide open in shock when he recognised many of them.

"Let's go Feu!" said his Trainer. "Mega Evolve! We're going to defeat these guys!"

Feu hesitated at the thought of fighting his once mate and his neighbours, but he squashed all of his doubts when he realised he needed more firepower to end the crisis.

 _"Very well. Let's do it Limone!"_ he said to his Trainer as he thought about all the things they went through together.

They had met at an event where they quickly bonded and the organisers allowed Limone to keep him. They travelled throughout Kalos as they became stronger together. He helped Limone catch all their friends that would stay with them until Limone retired.

And finally, in Hoenn, they found a power that would help them win the league so long ago, a power that they would call upon once more. And with that power, they would make these bastards _pay_ for what they did to Protector.

Feu was surrounded by a bright light, and after it died down, he had changed. Streams of fire came forth from his wrists. His body was red and black instead of red and yellow. Feu's hair and mane now formed and X shape and he now had a horn on his forehead.

"A Mega Evolution? Never understood how it worked," said the human. "Dainsleif, you know how it works?"

" _No Accentus,"_ said the Aegislash.

"Flame Charge!" said his Trainer.

He coated himself in flames and charged forward, ready to make the monsters pay for their crimes.

" _For Protector and all my neighbours you bastards!"_

He thought it would be easy, but Accentus merely took a stance and Dainsleif's black shield glowed, forming a protective barrier. He tried to stop, but his momentum was too great, and he crashed into the barrier.

The collision left him dazed, and he felt weaker and vulnerable.

"Jump back!" said Limone.

Through he still felt a little dazed, he immediately leapt away and took stock of his condition. Even as he slowly recovered from his dizziness, he still felt faint, even heavy. And his breathing was far heavier than it should have been.

" _Damn it! Why do I feel so weak!? One crash shouldn't have done that to me!"_

"King's Shield drained your power! Switch to Flamethrower!"

He nodded and opened his mouth to fire, but he was too slow.

Accentus swung Dainsleif, and from his blade came a massive attack he recognised as Aerial Ace.

Even if he didn't know Aerial Ace could follow him, he was too close to dodge. He could only watch helpless as the attack got closer and closer until it finally struck him, throwing him back.

" _Gah!"_

He got back up, but Feu doubted he could take another attack like that. Not when he had a massive wound across his chest and was feeling pain all over his body. Feu checked his sides when he felt something odd, and realised he was bleeding everywhere.

He looked back at Accentus and Dainsleif when he heard them laugh at his state.

"Ha ha ha! You can't defeat us!" said Accentus as he _sneered_ at him.

" _Prepare to die!"_ said Dainsleif as he looked down on Feu with his one eye.

To Feu and Limone, as they continued laughing, as the fires blazed around them, Accentus and Dainsleif seemed to become less like a human and Pokemon duo, and more a demon wielding a sword forged by the devil himself.

Nevertheless, Feu glared at the two monsters defiantly and opened his mouth to perform the attack Limone told him to use. But that was when Protector stepped forward, and Feu's heart sank as his attack fizzled.

"You seem to know this Meowstic," said Accentus. "We can see how your eyes kept darting to her."

" _You can die by her hand,"_ said Dainsleif.

"Wait, _that's_ the Meowstic you met in that forest!?" said Limone.

Yes, she was, and no matter what, Feu could not bring himself to attack her, not in her current state.

Protector fired Psybeam at him, and the purple wave of psionic energy struck him.

" _Gah!"_ he said before he looked back at his once mate with pleading eyes. " _Protector! It's me! Feu! Remember me!?"_

Protector fired another Psybeam at him, and once again, he was pushed back by the attack.

" _Argh…"_ said Feu as he looked back at Protector with tears falling down his face. " _Protector, it's me. Did our mating result in a child?"_

That was when Protector stopped. She seemed to be struggling. Feu's eyes lit up as he realised two things. Protector was fighting against the mind control, and what the answer to his question was.

" _It did, didn't it? Please, I beg of you! For our child and you! Break free!"_ pleaded Feu as his tears began falling freely.

Protector dropped to her knees as the black glow of her eyes started fading.

"Oh _no_ you _don't!"_ said Accentus and Dainsleif.

They unleashed another Aerial Ace at Feu.

Knowing he couldn't dodge, he braced himself and wiped his tears even as he saw his impending death. Feu could only watch broken-hearted as the black glow fully covered Protector's eyes once more.

" _Goodbye, Protector…"_ he said as he closed his eyes and prepared for the inevitable.

"Feu! NO!" was the last thing he ever heard.

* * *

 _(The next morning)_

When they arrived at the human settlement, Feu, Elder, and Fabron could only stare in shock at the state of it.

Just like his home forest, there were dead Pokemon everywhere, but this time, there were also dead humans. Adult and children alike, of both his kind, and Fabron's, all lying lifeless. The human-made structures were also all in ruins. Not a single human home was left untouched by whatever calamity that was inflicted on the settlement.

They quickly asked what happened, and the survivors told them that it was a human and Aegislash duo. From how they were described, Feu knew that it was the very ones that they were after. The townsfolk tried calling the authorities after they left, but it turned out that the main telephone lines were destroyed, so they had no means of fast communication. They could not call anyone to warn others of Accentus and Dainsleif, nor could they call for aid.

So Feu, Elder and Fabron decided to provide that aid. Feu saw a man transporting a corpse, and he went to help. That was when the man looked at him in shock.

"Feu!?" he said. "But how? I saw those guys kill you and Limone!"

That outburst caught the attention of everyone nearby, and Elder and Fabron started heading in Feu's direction.

" _What're you talking about?"_ asked Feu. " _And how did you know my name? Did Elder or Fabron mention it? And who's Limone?"_

Feu looked as the man could only stare at him.

"I… didn't understand a word of that," he said eventually.

Feu realised he had gotten too used to Fabron being able to understand him, but therein was the solution.

"Feu just asked what you were talking about, and frankly, I understand his confusion," said Fabron. "From what he and Elder told me, this is Feu's first time outside their home forest. When could _you_ have met him? And what's with you thinking he should be dead?"

"That's not the Feu we knew! That's just another Blaziken with the same name!" shouted another townsfolk, this time a young girl. "Though taking a closer look, you can see the resemblance."

At that point, Feu was very confused. What were the odds that there would be another Blaziken named Feu?

" _Oh my,"_ said Elder. " _I think I know this other Feu. Can we see him?"_

"You can," said the girl. "We haven't buried him or Limone yet."

And now it turned out Elder knew him? But how? The only way that was possible was if...

Feu's eyes widened in shock as his world turned upside down. No, there was no way it was his father. There was no way he could have died just _one day_ before he arrived. The humans must have gotten confused. Yes, that was all it was, the humans were simply wrong.

As they walked towards where all the bodies were being placed though, Feu realised that not even _he_ could believe that.

* * *

Fabron looked at the other Blaziken that was also named Feu, his body next to his Trainer whom they were told was named Limone.

He didn't spend that much time with the Feu he knew, but the more he shifted between the deceased Feu and the still living one, the more he saw the resemblance between the two. And he saw how devastated Feu looked. It was clear to Fabron that Feu didn't need Elder's confirmation to know what his heart already knew.

" _There is no doubt,"_ said Elder as he closed his eyes in sadness and placed a hand on his chest. " _This is the Feu that once visited our home and mated with my daughter. This is the Feu that sired my grandson. He is Feu's father."_

Fabron and Feu locked eyes, and in that look, Fabron could tell that Feu was going through all the same emotions he did when the reality that he lost his home and his family sunk in. For once, he could empathise with his travelling companion. Without any words exchanged, he knew what Feu wanted to ask.

For all that they could now empathise with each other over their lost father, at least Fabron grew up with one. Feu didn't, and would never be able to truly know his father. But knowing what his neighbours knew would be enough.

Fabron looked at the townsfolk and asked. "Can you tell us about him? He'd appreciate it."

Feu gave Fabron an appreciative look for that, a rare event, and all the more reason to keep the moment in mind.

"Of course," said Flagg, the villager who first mistook Feu for the one he knew. "He and his Trainer met at this promotional event for the Hoenn region, when Feu was just a Torchic. They took quite a liking to each other, and Limone was allowed to keep him."

" _And of their journey?"_ asked Elder.

"Limone told me a lot of stories," said the girl. "While they were in Hoenn, they found a Blazikenite, and after winning a tournament that gave out a Key Stone as the prize, they were able to win the Hoenn League together."

At that, Fabron saw Feu nod and take his leave. Though he put on a brave smile, Fabron could see how tightly he was clenching his fist. He would have followed the Blaziken but Elder stopped him.

" _Give him some space. Feu just found out that the Blaziken that sired him, his father that he always wanted to meet, died just one night before we arrived. He needs time to process all this,"_ said Elder. He then looked in the direction Feu went. " _If we had arrived just one day earlier, Feu could have talked to him properly, but we did not, and now, all Feu could know about his father is from what others could speak of him."_

Elder then turned back to Fabron. " _Speaking of lost fathers, I believe now is a good time for us to talk about yours, and the rest of your family."_

Though confused at the timing, Fabron nodded and followed Elder to the outskirts of town. Outside of the town, they managed to find a place where none of the townsfolk could interrupt them.

"Okay, we're alone now," said Fabron as he turned a cross look at Elder. "Why do you want to talk about my family _now?_ "

He may have been told to respect his elders, their species notwithstanding, but there were _limits._ Why would Elder bring up his family's death when they _just_ learned that Feu's father died.

" _Because I have recently realised that you have made a habit of keeping your feelings contained,"_ said Elder as Fabron's eye twitched upon learning Elder noticed what he had been doing. " _I was not sure how to bring it up though, but Feu's death reminded me that this needs to be sorted out sooner rather than later."_

Elder then looked him in the eye.

" _While keeping your emotions and instincts in check is not always a bad thing, you took it too far. You are the opposite of Feu in that regard. Feu's problem is that he is too impulsive, and often acts without thinking. You however are too restrained, and kept all your emotions bottled up."_

"So _what_?" snapped Fabron as he turned his back. "What do I have to gain from speaking of how much I miss my family? You think I'd be _happy_ talking about how I _don't_ have a home to return to!? You guys have friends and family to save that you could return home with. But _not me._ "

Fabron felt himself shiver in both rage as sorrow as he held back his tears. It became harder and harder as he remembered what his parents looked like as they lied dead on the floor of their own living room.

His mood did not improve when Elder spoke up again.

" _Keeping your emotions bottled up is not a good thing."_

His tears began falling as he remembered how Dainsleif had taken over Paien and forced his brother to attack him. He remembered how terrified he felt when the Shiny Aegislash then mind-controlled half the village and laughed as his neighbours tore each other apart.

 _"If you do not let them out, your emotions could explode at the worst possible tim-"_

"I won't explode!" shouted Fabron as he turned back to Elder. Fabron cringed as he quickly realised what he did.

They just stood there in silence for a while before Fabron spoke first.

"I… sorry Elder," said Fabron as he wiped the tears from his face, unable to look Elder in the eye as he did.

" _Apology accepted,"_ said Elder. " _You are better than Feu at saying 'sorry', but I guess we can talk about this another time. For now, let us find my grandson."_

"Okay, Elder," said Fabron as he choked back a sob, not wanting Elder to confront him about it.

And with that, they began searching for wherever Feu went.

* * *

Meanwhile, Feu was also outside of the village. He had found an area with lots of large rocks and he was taking his frustrations out of them.

His father. _That was his father!_

With tears falling down his face, Feu punched the rock as hard as he could and kept punching no matter how badly it hurt.

 _Accentus and Dainsleif killed him!_

His claws extended and he Slashed the rock. He repeated the attack again and again until the rock was nothing but rubble.

He then turned to the next rock and crushed it with a Flame Charge attack, and then the next one, and the next one. But no matter how many rocks he destroyed, the tears wouldn't stop. His anger didn't leave him even as he lied down exhausted.

He always wanted to meet his father. He wanted to know how strong he was and whether his father could train him.

But because Accentus and Dainsleif killed him, he would never get the chance to speak to him. He lost his father before he had the chance to know him.

Feu's fists clenched even as his tears continued falling down his face.

" _Mark my words, Accentus, Dainsleif. You're both going to pay!"_

And with the renewal of his vow, he got back up and wiped his tears. After he dried his eyes, Feu went to find his grandfather and Fabron.

* * *

And there's Chapter 2. It was originally going to be longer, but Viroro-kun told me it was better to split it in two, so the original chapter 3 is now chapter 4, assuming he doesn't have me split that one too.


End file.
